PEPONI SCHOOLS
Admissions and Attendance Registers Policy
Author / reviewed by:
Headmaster, Peponi School
Head, Peponi House
Head of Peponi House Kabete Kindergarten
Date of Policy: September 2023
Review Frequency: Annually
Review Date:
1. The Policy
This policy is applicable to all Peponi Schools and to the whole school community including those pupils in the Early Years School Stage (EYFS) and boarding. The compulsory age of education in Kenya is six years of old. However, as a British School Overseas this policy applies for all children from the academic year that they turn five. Children under the age of five attending Kindergarten are considered to be in non-compulsory education refer to Code X.
2. Introduction
Peponi maintains its Admissions and Attendance Registers in accordance with Statutory Regulations and takes account of the Department for Education’s guidance: Working together to improve school attendance. Peponi adheres to Statutory Guidance when dealing with Children Missing from Education. The School will work in a collaborative way with external agencies, in accordance with the principles of Working Together to Safeguard Children.
Peponi’s separate Admissions Policy and Procedures, available on our website, sets out the admissions criteria for the Schools.
3. Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to outline the approach taken to:
i. Recording information at the point a pupil is admitted to the school;
ii. Recording attendance information on a daily basis;
iii. Recording information at the point a pupil leaves the school; and
iv. Managing a situation when a pupil is deemed missing from education.
4. Admission of pupils
For each pupil, the Admissions Register must contain:
i. Name in full, as per the child’s Passport and Birth Certificate
ii. Sex
iii. Name and address of every person known to the school to be a parent of the pupil (and an indication of which parent the pupil normally lives with and which parents and/or other individuals hold parental responsibility– Note: parents or other individuals holding parental responsibility, even if not actually caring for the child, have a right to receive relevant information from the School in respect of any pertinent matter affecting the child, unless a court order indicates otherwise;
iv. For international boarders, the education guardian and agent details
v. Where a parent notifies the School that a pupil will live at another address, in addition, or instead, the School will record details of the new address, the full name of the parent with whom the pupil will normally live with in future and the date from which it is expected the pupil will normally live there, where it is reasonably practicable for the School to ascertain this information;
vi. At least two telephone numbers, one of which should be in Kenya, at which the parent or guardian (including the education guardian) can be contacted in an emergency one of which must be the telephone number at which the parent with whom they normally live can be contacted in an emergency;
vii. Day, month and year of birth;
viii. Day, month and year of admission or re-admission to the School;
ix. An indication of boarding or day attendance (in schools which include boarders);
x. Name and address of the school last attended, if any; and
xi. The name of the destination school (or additional school, in the case of dual registration) notified by a parent and the first date of attendance, where it is reasonably practicable for the School to ascertain this information.
The name of a pupil must be included in the Admissions Register from the beginning of the first day on which the School has agreed, or has been notified, that the pupil will attend the School. For most pupils the expected first day of attendance is the first day of the school year. For boarders, this is the first day from which they join the boarding house.
A pupil can only be deleted from the Admissions Register on the following specific grounds.
i. When the child has been taken out of the School to be home educated;
ii. When the family has apparently moved away;
iii. When the child has been certified as medically unfit to attend; and
iv. When the child has been permanently excluded.
5. Attendance
The School sees education as a partnership between the family and the School. The School is committed to providing the highest quality of education for pupils and we look to parents to support this objective through ensuring regular attendance.
For all pupils of compulsory school age, the Attendance Register must show whether the pupil is: i. Present;
ii. Absent;
iii. Attending an approved educational activity outside the School (including, for example, work experience or a sporting activity);
iv. Unable to attend through exceptional circumstances (for example, unavoidable closure of the School premises or part of them, unavailability of transport provided by the School where the home is not within walking distance);
v. Taking authorised absence (granted leave of absence by the Head of School or the Deputy Head or a member of the Senior Leadership Team where delegated; unable to attend by reason of sickness or unavoidable cause; observing a day exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which the parent belongs); or
vi. Taking unauthorised absence (if no reason is established when the register is taken, the entry should be corrected later (within a reasonable period) when the reason is established).
6. Recording attendance
A standard set of codes are used by schools in registers and these are implemented across the School.
Under this system, an N is first entered when a reason has yet been provided for absence, and this is later corrected using the appropriate symbol and N must not be allowed to remain indefinitely. In the unlikely event that a reason is never established, this will be treated as an unauthorised absence. Attendance codes used by the School are in Annex 1 of this policy.
Registration will take place for both AM and PM sessions.
It is the responsibility of the Deputy Head Pastoral to ensure that daily registration is completed for all pupils by the designated time by the close of registration.
7. Requests for absence from parent/carer(s)
Schools, not parents, authorise absence. Requests to the School for granting permission for leave of absence to a pupil during term time must be made in writing in advance directly to the relevant Head of School. The Head of School, or member of senior staff with delegated responsibility, is only able to authorise leave of absence where exceptional circumstances relate to the application. Authorised leave is unlikely to be granted for the purpose of a family holiday. For further details on leave which may be authorised, refer to Annex 1.
We ask that parents make contact with the School when a child is going to be absent for ill health reasons in order that the School can keep records updated and importantly, so that the School can be kept informed of their progress to full health and anticipated return date. If necessary, the School may ask for medical evidence of any illness. We expect any absence for illness to be evidenced in writing by the parent/carer(s) as soon as possible. Procedures for each School of the School are detailed within the relevant School Handbook.
An absence is classified as unauthorised if a child is away from school without the permission of the relevant Head of School, or the Deputy Head/member of the Senior Leadership Team where delegated, in advance.
8. Boarding Pupils
At Peponi School, the Housemaster/mistress (HSM), with input from other staff, will be responsible for boarding pupils during term-time and additional times the boarding house is scheduled to be open, including ensuring that the pupils are safely occupied both during and outside of normal school hours.
The School expects all pupils who wish to leave the main site to request a Gate Pass from their HSM All boarding pupils must stay within bounds within the Peponi School site. If pupils wish to enter other Houses, they must sign in with the HSM or Tutor on duty in that particular House. At weekends, boarding pupils must have a Gate Pass issued should they wish to exit the site, this can only be after leave has been requested by parents and confirmed by the HSM A register is kept in each House and this ensures that boarding staff always know where a boarding pupil is during term time when they are in the School’s care.
Pupils who board must request absence in good time, and parents must consent to the request by confirming with the HSM at least 48 hours before the planned absence For weekends, detailed information must be given about where they are going and who the responsible adult will be during the leave. Leave must be approved by the HSM in liaison with all parties concerned. Further information can be found in the Handbook for Houses
Routine permissions for planned absence (for example, university open days, dental and medical appointments) for boarding pupils can be given by the HSM. The HSM will liaise with the education guardian and/or parents, and the Deputy Head Pastoral where necessary. The HSM will then record this or arrange for this to be recorded by boarding staff to ensure that all relevant staff are aware of this authorised absence. Leave during term time for holidays, family or religious reasons for boarders will follow the same procedure for day pupils.
If they are unwell, boarding pupils must informk the HSM, and request to see the duty Sister as soon as possible before first Roll Call. If they become unwell during the day, once they have seen Sister, they may stay in the boarding house that day with breaks as appropriate as permitted by boarding staff.
Parents and/or education guardians should contact the boarding staff if a pupil is taken ill if the pupil is off-site, and will not be returning on time. The boarding staff will telephone the parents if a boarding pupil is an hour late in returning from an leave
9. Roles and responsibilities
Parent/carer(s) responsibilities for day pupils
i. Encourage regular and punctual attendance, being fully aware of their legal responsibilities.
ii. Ensure that the child in their care arrives punctually, prepared for learning.
iii. Provide clear reasons for any absence which ensures the School can code the absence properly and accurately.
iv. Contact the School on the first day of the child’s absence as early as possible.
v. Avoid making arrangements to remove children from the School during term time.
vi. Respond helpfully and positively to any enquiry made by the School to ascertain the reason for any absence, including any safeguarding matter.
Parent/education guardians responsibilities for boarding pupils
i. Education guardians must have formal contact with the HSM prior to the start of the new academic year.
ii. Encourage regular and punctual attendance, being fully aware of their legal responsibilities.
iii. Ensure that the child in their care follows the procedure for requesting permission for trips off-site/leave weekends.
iv. Ensure that the child in their care arrives for each term and returns from all leave by the required date.
v. Avoid making arrangements to remove children from the School during term-time.
vi. Respond helpfully and positively to any enquiry made by the School to ascertain the reason for any absence, including any possible safeguarding matter.
School responsibilities
i. Promote good attendance and reduce absence, including persistent absence.
ii. Work to ensure every pupil has good attendance so s/he can access the education s/he is entitled to.
iii. Act early to address patterns of absence.
iv. Encourage parents to ensure their child attends all learning opportunities regularly and punctually.
v. Keep accurate and efficient records of attendance and registration at the School, including attendance at all after school, before school activities as well as outside of normal school hours for pupils who board. We achieve this in the following ways:
a. Teachers must take a register of pupils at least once in the morning and once in the afternoon; all pupils are registered electronically by 8.30am at the latest and then by 2.30pm (compliance registrations). See Staff and Parents' handbook in each school for exact timings. Pupils with a study period at 2.30 must register in the DM Central Library
b. Carry out welfare checks for boarders at agreed and appropriate times of day in addition to the attendance registers detailed above;
c. Mark all pupils and boarders not present by the designated registration time and welfare checks detailed above, taking into account absence notes;
d. Follow up unnotified first day absence with a telephone call to the parent/carer(s). If the pupil has been identified as a pupil of concern then a call to parents or boarding staff as appropriate will be placed as soon as we are aware of the absence;
e. Monitor attendance and lateness and implement strategies for promoting improved awareness of attendance;
f. Specifically monitor any persistent absence
g. Proper use of the agreed codes to record and monitor attendance and absence, including authorised absences, in a consistent way which complies with the Regulations, including the preservation of every entry on both the Admissions and Attendance Registers for a period of three years after the date on which the entry was made;
h. Only the Head /Housemaster/mistress or a member of staff acting on their behalf can authorise absence;
i. Close discussion with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) to identify children causing concern, including interviewing children and parents regarding any unsatisfactory attendance;
j. Provide parent/carer(s) with the timings of the school day and the calendar via the School website and through communications, in advance.
10. Missing Pupils
A pupil who is not present for registration, a lesson or at their boarding house when expected to be without the School having been informed is deemed to be a missing pupil and the School’s Missing Child Policy will apply.
11.
Related policies
i. Missing Child Policy
ii. Children Missing in Education Policy
Annex 1 - Attendance codes
Any changes to the codes must also be reflected within the MIS by the data manager.
Code Codes used are in accordance with Working together to improve school attendance
/ Present AM
\ Present PM
N
Code N: Reason for absence not yet provided. This code is only used where the reason for absence at the point of registration is unknown and the reason for absence must be confirmed before the next registration period.
O Code O: Unauthorised absence. Where no reason for absence is established or the school is not satisfied that the reason given is authorised absence.
L
B
J
Code L: Arrive in school after registration closed. This code is used where a pupil has arrived late after the register has closed and the school is not satisfied that the reason for lateness is an authorised absence. Links to government code U.
Code B: This code should be used when pupils are present at an off-site educational activity that has been approved by the school and education is supervised and measures have been taken to safeguard pupils. This code should not be used for any unsupervised educational activity or where a pupil is at home doing school work.
Code J: This code is used when a pupil is at an interview with prospective employers, or another educational establishment. Schools should be satisfied that the interview is linked to employment prospects, further education or transfer to another educational establishment.
I
VPCode P: participating in a supervised sporting activity. This code should be used to record the sessions when a pupil is taking part in a sporting activity that has been approved by the school and supervised by someone authorised by the school.
Code V: educational visit or trip This code should be used for attendance at an organised trip or visit, including residential trips organised by the school, or attendance at a supervised trip of a strictly educational nature arranged by an organisation approved by the school.
Code W: work experience. Work experience is for pupils in the final two years of compulsory education. Schools should ensure that they have in place arrangements whereby the work experience placement provider notifies the school of any absences by individual pupils. Any absence should be recorded using the relevant code.
CCode C: leave of absence authorised by the school. Only exceptional circumstances warrant an authorised leave of absence. Schools should consider each application individually taking into account the specific facts and circumstances and relevant background context behind the request. E
Code E: excluded from the site but no alternative provision made. If no alternative provision is made for a pupil to continue their education whilst they are excluded but still on the admission register, they should be marked absent in the attendance register using Code E. Alternative provision must be arranged for each excluded pupil from the sixth consecutive day of any fixed period or permanent exclusion. Where alternative provision is made they should be marked using the appropriate attendance code. H
Code H: holiday authorised by the school. Head teachers should not grant leave of absence unless there are exceptional circumstances. The application must be made in advance and the head teacher must be satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances based on the individual facts and circumstances of the case which warrant the leave. Where a leave of absence is granted, the head teacher will determine the number of days a pupil can be away from school. A leave of absence is granted entirely at the head teacher’s discretion.
Code I: illness (not medical or dental appointments). Schools should advise parents to notify them on the first day the child is unable to attend due to illness. Schools should authorise absences due to illness unless they have genuine cause for concern about the veracity of an illness. If the authenticity of illness is in doubt, schools can request parents to provide medical evidence to support illness. Schools can record the absence as unauthorised if not satisfied of the authenticity of the illness but should advise parents of their intention. Schools are advised not to request medical evidence unnecessarily. Medical evidence can take the form of prescriptions, appointment cards, etc. rather than doctors’ notes.
M
S
D
Code M: medical or dental appointments. Missing registration for a medical or dental appointment is counted as an authorised absence. Schools should, however, encourage parents to make appointments out of school hours. Where this is not possible, the pupil should only be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary for the appointment.
Code R: religious observance. Schools must treat absence as authorised when it is due to religious observance. The day must be exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which the parents belong. Where necessary, schools should seek advice from the parents’ religious body about whether it has set the day apart for religious observance.
Code S: study leave. Schools must record study leave as authorised absence. Study leave should be used sparingly and only granted to Year 11 pupils during public examinations. Provision should still be made available for those pupils who want to continue to come into school to revise.
Code D: Pupil is on roll at two or more institutions and is attending another institution for the session/lesson.
G
X
Code G: Unauthorised family holiday. Where the school does not permit the holiday but the family takes it anyway, this code should be used.
Code X: Non-compulsory school age absence. This could be that the pupil is part time and it is not a scheduled day, or it could be, in the case of Sixth Form pupils, that they do not have a lesson scheduled. Y
Code Y: Unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances. This code should be used where a pupil is unable to attend due to the school site, or part of it, being closed, transport to school is not available and the pupil’s home is not within safe walking distance or a local or national emergency has resulted in widespread disruption to travel which has prevented the pupil from attending school. Schools must also record the nature of the circumstances in which a pupil is unable to attend school.
Z
#
Code Z: Pupil not on roll. This will be applied automatically by the MIS for dates before a pupil starts or after a pupil departs.
Code #: Planned whole or partial school closure. Examples of whole school closures that are known and planned in advance include for example holidays, half terms and bank holidays etc. Examples of partial school closures that are known and planned in advance include for example staggered starts or induction days.